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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23615509">Oh speak again, bright angel</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/HolyCatsAndRabbits/pseuds/HolyCatsAndRabbits'>HolyCatsAndRabbits</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman &amp; Terry Pratchett</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>A rose by any other name, Crowley is a suave bastard, DTIYS, First Kiss, Love Confessions, M/M, Second Kiss, Shakespeare, praying, romeo and juliet - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 16:42:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,372</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23615509</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/HolyCatsAndRabbits/pseuds/HolyCatsAndRabbits</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Happy Good Omens Celebration, everyone! This fic ties in with the GOC prompt “Contrast.” Written to go with this amazing <a href="https://selene-yoshi-chan.tumblr.com/post/190280763741/a-little-bit-in-late-but-i-wanted-to-try">art</a> by Selene-yoshi-chan, which was a DTIYS by PinkPiggy93. Selene gave me a run-down of their thoughts about this piece, and I wrote the fic from those.</p><p> </p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>101</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>204</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Good Omens Celebration</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>London, 1598</b>
</p>
<p>Crowley hadn’t meant to eavesdrop. He usually did, being a demon, but not on Aziraphale. That was crossing a line that had always seemed to Crowley like it was drawn more sharply than any other line.</p>
<p>Weeks ago, Aziraphale had sent Crowley a letter about Shakespeare’s latest play, <em> Romeo and Juliet. </em>The angel was a fan. Crowley preferred the funny ones, but he also preferred to spend time with Aziraphale as opposed to doing anything else, so he’d come at his invitation.</p>
<p>They’d sat through the play twice. They pretended that there was business to discuss, and that a crowded theater was simply a good place to be together (for <em> business reasons) </em>without attracting attention. The truth was— well, the truth was rather hard to pin down. Always had been, with them.</p>
<p>It was a strange thing, to be an <em> enemy. </em>The word had different meanings. Sometimes people were enemies because they hated each other and disapproved of what the other thought and felt and did. But sometimes people were enemies because of decisions that had been made by other people in other times for reasons that didn’t seem to apply terribly well anymore. Crowley and Aziraphale were enemies. Crowley wasn’t entirely sure which kind.</p>
<p>After the play, they’d parted, as they always had to. Crowley had wandered into a local watering hole, and in the middle of his second drink, realized that he didn’t want to drink alone. Not that he ever wanted to, but tonight it just seemed like he couldn’t imagine being anywhere except with Aziraphale. So Crowley bought the bottle and headed back to where there was an angel on Earth, with white-blond curls and cheeks that turned pink with laughter, and blue eyes that one could definitely write sonnets about.</p>
<p>Crowley was surprised to find that Aziraphale was sitting on a rock in the garden outside of his lodging house, speaking quietly. But he didn’t have company. There was no one answering back, at least not that Crowley could hear. Crowley told himself not to eavesdrop. But his feet would not move.</p>
<p>“I guess I’m just— grieving,” Aziraphale was saying. “If you can grieve for something you never had.” He gave a little humorless laugh. “Well, anyway, I thought I’d update you, as I usually do, since you probably don’t know him very well anymore. He continues to be quite a wonderful person. I think you’d like him, actually. He cares for humans. Children especially. He’s not like the others who Fell.” Aziraphale’s voice dropped even lower. “I suppose I wouldn’t be where I am if he were.” He shook his head. “Anyway. Um, I guess I just wanted to say what I always say. That he’s lovely, and it’s hard for him to be alone down here. I look after him as well as I can, but—” </p>
<p>Crowley was startled as Aziraphale abruptly started crying. It made him want to go to the angel and comfort him, but instead Crowley stood still in the shadows.</p>
<p>“Oh, do listen to me,” Aziraphale said, with a sort of saddened laugh, rubbing at his eyes. “you know how I get on this subject. I’m so sorry. Centuries ago I used to ask you to take this feeling away. But now I don't think I'd feel this way if it wasn't from you. I don't know what that means, except that it makes me realize that it’s not enough. If you do listen— if you do— you must find a way to let him know that he is loved. You owe him that.” His voice grew resolute. “And I won’t— I won’t take that back, because it’s true. He’s alone here. He only has me. And I need to tell him that. That he really <em> has </em> me. Tell him somehow so that he would <em> listen.” </em> He laughed. “Because you know he doesn’t like to <em> listen.” </em></p>
<p>Aziraphale’s hands moved restlessly, in a way that Crowley knew meant he was worried. “I don’t think it’s too much for an angel to ask, to be allowed to love someone. I think it’s rather the purpose you created us for.” His voice fell soft again. “And you know that I want to ask for more, but that part doesn’t matter as much. He doesn’t have to love me back. I don’t even know if he’s capable of it, being what he is now, so that— that doesn’t matter. But can you see, I’m trying so hard to be good about this, not to sneak around without you knowing. I want your blessing. Because, you see, through me, you could— bless <em> him. </em> Indirectly. And if I knew you had, then I could trust that you would keep us safe.”</p>
<p>He cleared his throat. “So. Well. Good night, and thank you for listening. If you are. Which I pray you are. I’m sorry for my shortcomings, Lord. And I hope you have a lovely night,” he finished, very quietly.</p>
<p>Aziraphale crossed the garden to his lodging house, disappearing up the stairs. Crowley still hadn’t moved, and didn’t, for a while after. Eventually he did something he did only rarely: he looked up.</p>
<p>“Look, I know we don’t talk much,” he said in a low voice. “But you’ve got to listen to me now. He’s the best one you’ve got. And I won’t hurt him. I won’t, I can’t. I love him. I don’t know if you can tell, but I do.” He raked a hand through his hair, pulling it loose from his queue. “I wasn’t going to tell him. I thought it would make things worse, but he’s in pain. I can’t stand him being in pain, never could. But I won’t ever— not if it would hurt him worse, get him in trouble. So if this wasn’t your sign, your blessing, if this is going to be bad for him, I need you to stop me now. Surely you’d intervene against a demon threatening the best angel there is. <em> Please.” </em></p>
<p>There was no answer. Or at least not a verbal one. But a light turned on in the lodging house, and the door to the balcony opened. Aziraphale walked out, holding a mug of something in his hands. The backlighting made his white curls glow exactly like his halo did. Crowley could even see the shadow of Aziraphale’s wings behind him, fluttering close to the earthly plane.</p>
<p>“You had to make him that beautiful, didn’t you?” Crowley whispered. He smoothed down his clothes, picking at them nervously like Aziraphale always did. “All right,” he said. “I’m— I guess— thank you.”</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>See the end notes for a translation of the Shakespearean English.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Aziraphale was feeling better, after having talked to God. He usually did, if he had convinced himself that it wasn’t useless, that She was listening. He rested his cup of tea on the railing of the balcony and let the cool night air dry the last of his tears away.</p><p>A voice startled him. “Evening, angel.”</p><p>Aziraphale looked down from the balcony to find his favorite sight in the world. “Crowley!” he exclaimed, with delight, before remembering to sound less delighted. At least he avoided saying <em>Speak of the devil.</em> “What are you still doing here?”</p><p>“Got bored,” Crowley said with a shrug. Even though Aziraphale had just seen him, he had to make himself take Crowley in with a few different looks, so that he didn’t stare. Crowley was really at his most handsome like this, standing among the shadows in dark clothes, bright hair down around his shoulders, that sly smile on his face. <em>Temptation Incarnate.</em>  </p><p>“Found some good scotch,” Crowley called up. “Thought I might share. Came back, saw the balcony. Look at you! Just like in the play.”</p><p>Aziraphale gave him a skeptical look. “You hated the play.”</p><p>“Well, maybe they didn’t do it right. Bet you we could do better.” He put a hand to his chest and said, in a beautifully resonant voice, “But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?”</p><p>Aziraphale tried to quell the sudden thrill that went through him. If Romeo had looked anything like this standing below the balcony, Juliet could be excused for marrying him the next day. “I'm hardly Juliet, dear,” he protested.</p><p>Crowley grinned rakishly at him. “O, speak again, bright angel! For thou art as glorious to this night, being o'er my head, as is a winged messenger of heaven unto the white-upturned wondering eyes of mortals that fall back to gaze on him when he bestrides the lazy-pacing clouds and sails upon the bosom of the air.”</p><p>“Haven’t done that recently,” Aziraphale cut in, somewhat desperately, trying to keep his head. “Bestride the clouds. And usually mortals don’t see me when I do.”</p><p>Crowley gave him an exasperated frown. “That is not your line, <em>bright angel.”</em></p><p>Aziraphale clutched the cup tighter to quell the shaking in his hands. “Dear, I—”</p><p>“Go on, then. Can’t tell me you don’t have it memorized with how much you loved it.”</p><p>Aziraphale opened his mouth and the words came out, all on their own. “O Romeo, Romeo!” he said, leaning down toward his— his friend. “Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love…”</p><p>The lines died there. They burned too harshly in Aziraphale’s throat. “Well,” Aziraphale said, trying to smile. “Unhappy lovers, aren’t they?”</p><p>Oddly enough, Crowley’s voice wavered a little as well. “Are they?”</p><p>“I made you sit through it twice, surely you remember the ending? They both die.”</p><p>Crowley shrugged. “Mortals do that.”</p><p>“Yes, but—” That was as far as that sentence got, because Crowley rolled his shoulders a little and let his wings erupt, black and glossy and half-hidden in the dark. Aziraphale could do nothing but watch them carry Crowley up to the balcony, where he swung his legs over the railing and sat facing Aziraphale, spreading his wings out for balance.</p><p>Crowley smiled at him, looking just a little bit smug. “With love's light wings did I o'er-perch these walls; for stony limits cannot hold love out, and what love can do that dares love attempt.” Crowley snapped his fingers and a red rose appeared in his hand. “That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. Course that’s out of order, and it’s your line anyway.”</p><p>Aziraphale stared at the rose, and then back at the demon. Crowley was so close. So close, and so beautiful, soft wings and sharp features revealed now in the light coming from the room behind them. Crowley hadn’t seemed a creature of Hell to Aziraphale for millennia. He was something else entirely. The kind of treasure people spent their lives chasing. The stuff God made dreams out of.</p><p>“So Romeo would,” the angel said softly, hesitantly but not nearly hesitantly enough, “were he not Romeo call'd, retain that dear perfection which he owes without that title. Romeo, doff thy name, and for that name which is no part of thee…”</p><p>Crowley finished it for him, softly. “Take all myself.”</p><p>“You are,” Aziraphale breathed. It was an instruction. It couldn’t be a question. “Crowley, you are acting.”</p><p>Aziraphale hadn’t touched Crowley during the play. Or before the play, or after it. Aziraphale hadn’t touched Crowley in the last 306 years, since they’d accidentally brushed hands in a crowded street.</p><p>Crowley didn’t answer, and Aziraphale kissed his beautiful mouth. Right there on the balcony. Without thinking about it, just feeling it, soaking up the warmth of Crowley’s cheek against his own, the softness of his lips, the little surprised breath Crowley took of air Aziraphale had given him. Aziraphale kissed him until he couldn’t anymore, which was a point that came far too soon.</p><p>Aziraphale pulled back suddenly, and the world came rushing back in. “Oh dear, oh I’m— I’m so sorry—”</p><p>Crowley didn’t move back. He sat there, as steady as anything. “Aziraphale. I’m not acting.”</p><p>“You—”</p><p>“I heard you. Praying.” Crowley said this with a nervous frown. “I overheard'st, ere you were ware, thy true love's passion.”  </p><p>Aziraphale felt as if he were drenched in a sudden cold rain. “Oh! Crowley, that was private!” He took a few steps back, to the door of his room. “Look, I know you were trying to be kind—”</p><p>“That’s not what this is.” Crowley’s voice was breaking now, the pain of it audible. “You asked for a way to let me know I was loved, and now I know. And I love you so much, I can’t—” He reached out and grasped Aziraphale’s arm before he could get any farther away. They were touching again, and Aziraphale felt like he might be flying. <em>Bestride the clouds. </em></p><p>“I can’t believe I’m saying this,” Crowley went on, “but She’s given us Her blessing.” He trailed his hand down Aziraphale’s arm to fold their hands together. Aziraphale just stared at their entwined fingers.</p><p>“She loves you,” Crowley said, in a voice that sounded lighter than Aziraphale had ever heard it. “Look at this. I couldn't have set this up better if I tried. The moonlight, the balcony, the lines from the play. It's exactly what you would want in a love confession, you soft, romantic idiot."</p><p>“I—”</p><p>Crowley's hand began to shake. He was losing his nerve. "If<em> I</em> can believe it, Aziraphale—"</p><p>Aziraphale's fingers tightened on Crowley's, and the demon looked up with hope in his eyes. </p><p>“You love me,” Aziraphale breathed.</p><p>“I've always loved you. Never felt anything else for you, it’s like I can’t.” He gave Aziraphale a hint of a rakish smile, still a little nervous. “Angel— O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?”</p><p>“What satisfaction canst thou have to-night?” Aziraphale asked, in a voice that came as easy as anything. As easy as falling in love.</p><p>“The exchange of thy love's faithful vow for mine.”</p><p>“I gave thee mine before thou didst request it.” Aziraphale leaned close. "But I will tell you again. I love you, Crowley. With everything that I have. And I always will."</p><p>This time, Crowley kissed him. There on the balcony, with a rose in one hand and an angel in the other. Shadows below them, God above them, and where they stood in between, there was light.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I think the “Contrast” prompt fit this fic best, as we are contrasting warring sides, as well as Crowley &amp; Aziraphale with Romeo &amp; Juliet. </p><p>Shakespeare translations: </p><p>Aziraphale and Crowley get a few things out of order, so this goes in order of lines in my story, not the play. The scene starts out by Romeo overhearing Juliet talking to herself on her balcony about her love for him, and then he talks to himself about it, so we can follow his thoughts. (Oddly enough, I didn’t plan to use the eavesdropping as a plot point and wrote the first part where Crowley overhears Aziraphale talking without consciously remembering that this is part of the play.)</p><p>“But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?”<br/>In this famous line, Romeo is about to get into his bit where he compares Juliet to the rising sun. I cut him off after the first line.</p><p>“O, speak again, bright angel! For thou art as glorious to this night, being o'er my head, as is a winged messenger of heaven unto the white-upturned wondering eyes of mortals that fall back to gaze on him when he bestrides the lazy-pacing clouds and sails upon the bosom of the air.”<br/>Lots of flowery language to say: Juliet, you are as glorious to me as an angel flying through the sky is to mortals.</p><p>“O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love…”<br/>This is probably the most famous bit. Romeo &amp; Juliet come from warring families, the Montagues and Capulets. This is Juliet saying that she wants Romeo to give up his Montague name and no longer be part of his family, so that they will be allowed to be together. So “Wherefore art thou Romeo” doesn’t actually mean “Where are you, Romeo?” it means “Why are you named Romeo Montague?” More on this later.</p><p>“With love's light wings did I o'er-perch these walls; for stony limits cannot hold love out, and what love can do that dares love attempt.”<br/>Now Juliet is aware that Romeo has been listening to her, and they start actually talking to each other. This line means: Juliet, I am so in love with you that it was easy for me to climb over the wall around your house. A man in love will try to do just about anything because of that love.</p><p>“That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd, retain that dear perfection which he owes without that title. Romeo, doff thy name, and for that name which is no part of thee, take all myself.”<br/>This is back to the warring families part, and back to where Juliet doesn’t know she’s being overheard. She’s saying that Romeo would still be his wonderful self if he gave up his family’s name (Montague), and if he would do that, he could have Juliet in exchange. The “take all myself” bit that Aziraphale stumbles over is exactly as provocative as it sounds, except that Juliet thinks she’s just talking to herself. Aziraphale was about to make the “take me” offer to Crowley’s face and chickened out. Crowley, of course, went for it. &lt;3</p><p>"I overheard'st, ere you were ware, thy true love's passion."<br/>I eavesdropped on you, Juliet, and heard you say that you love me.</p><p>"O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied? / What satisfaction canst thou have to-night? / The exchange of thy love's faithful vow for mine. / I gave thee mine before thou didst request it.”<br/>Romeo: Juliet, tell me you love me. / Juliet: I already did, you eavesdropper. (But said romantically.)</p><p>My cheat sheet: https://www.sparknotes.com/nofear/shakespeare/romeojuliet/</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading!  Comments and kudos are so appreciated! And please feel free to check out my other works.<br/>I am now taking fic requests for original characters!<br/>Find me on tumblr <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/holycatsandrabbits">HolyCatsAndRabbits</a><br/>Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/DannyeChase">@DannyeChase</a><br/>Facebook <a href="https://facebook.com/DannyeChase">Dannye Chase</a><br/>and Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dannye_chase/">dannye_chase</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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